Growing up as a Catholic, taking Confession struck me as a wonderful device.  Whenever I did something wrong during the week, if I confessed on Friday, the priest would assign me a few prayers to recite, and “poof”, like magic, I was absolved of sin.   If I missed a week, I cou

Though averse to ageism, I was moved when I  read that longtime Congresswoman Anne Kuste was retiring to allow someone younger to take her place.  As a tribute to her decision, I have recorded below my relevant brunch conversation with a Millennial.                  

                                What is hope but futility for moments stood on end?  (Sydney Lee) When I was a child learning my catechism, I wondered about the hopelessness of hell.  Condemned to the fires of eternal damnation, why didn’t those lost souls rebel? 

During the 2024 election campaign, those scratching for a reason to support Donald Trump said they wanted someone with business experience who could make the government more efficient.  Why they would hold that hope for a man who filed six bankruptcies is a mystery. Nonetheless, thei

Recently, I came upon an article that compared the habits of folks with old and new money.  Old money, for example, avoided designer labels, and flashy cars and was courteous to people who provided service.  New money was less shy about flaunting status and more demanding.  This di

Since the election,  perhaps some of my blog readers may harbor the same concern for our democracy that I do. Freedom Isn’t an Energizer Bunny that keeps on going. It must be defended.  And though the Republican Party has turned its back on decency, the rest of us must work to pre

No one likes paying taxes, least of all billionaires.  They’d rather buy yachts.  Obliged to keep up appearances, they give to charity, some less than others, Elon Musk being the stingiest.  Nonetheless, they are lavish in their political contributions to politicians who favor th

The bank paid off one of my certificates of deposit (CD) early to refinance at a lower rate. My broker suggested one of two things: 1) buy a 3-month Treasury that paid 5% interest, or 2)  a one-year Note that paid 4.5%.  I chose the longer Treasury despite the lower rate.  If the F

My bank sent me a generic message about security upgrades to their electronic system.  They left a line in their message for feedback.  Mine was, “I hate change!” Security improvements are necessary, I know, because technology changes faster than Clark Kent can shed his business

It’s old news that a New York jury found former president Donald Trump guilty of 34 felony counts for falsifying business records before the 2016 presidential election.  He protested that the trial was rigged, naturally.  What else can a guilty man running for the White House a s